The best Windows Home Server interface yet. Improved Apple support. Great performance.

Cons

HP specific software was buggy with Windows 7. No way to set a static IP address.

Bottom Line

HP has made great improvements with the MediaSmart EX495 device based on Windows Home Server, enough so that it's easy to overlook the minor irritations.

Once again, HP has retooled the MediaSmart Server EX490 and EX495 with new capabilities, including faster hardware and better MAC support. That makes it all the better to connect to your home network to serve as your personal backup center and media server. Additionally, HP changed the Windows Home Server (WHS) styled user interface (UI) available on the MediaSmart Server EX487 and EX470 to a Web style UI logon. HP could have done a better job improving the software before launch, as bugs were encountered, even with the new Windows 7. So, while the $699.99 MediaSmart EX495 is an improvement over previous generations, it's still not perfect.

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Design and Setup
With the EX495, HP kept the MediaSmart enclosure identical to the two-year-old models. If it wasn't for a slightly different hue of the front LEDs at the bottom of the case, you couldn't tell them apart. On the back of the enclosure are the same e-SATA, Ethernet and USB ports in the same spots. There's still a USB port tucked under the front grill next to the status LEDs.

Although the enclosure has remained a fixture, HP upgraded the internal hardware. HP has moved away from the Celeron and gone with an Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200, 2GB RAM, and 1.5 TB of storage. The single hard drive is allocated to storage and the Windows Home Server (WHS) software, the same as with previous MediaSmart servers.

Installing and configuring the WHS Console client hasn't changed. During the setup, for instance, you can allow WHS to backup your computer while in hibernation or in sleep mode. The rest of the WHS installation differs only slightly.

I used the included WHS Connector Setup software to connect to the MediaSmart Server and to switch to another WHS server I was reviewing on the same network, the Lenovo IdeaCentre D400 Home Server. However, switching back and forth between WHS consoles never worked right. It's probably best not to run two WHS boxes on the same network.

System management got a great makeover in the new start up page created by HP. If you find that the MediaSmart server is performing too slowly, a look of the performance indicators on the System Status page could help you figure out if the problem is in the Server or the network. It also displays storage utilization, remote access connectivity and general server status alerts. To modify any of the server settings, however, you still have to use the Settings Window, which hasn't changed at all. Using that, I changed the remote and backup settings, and tested the media settings.

I was disappointed to see that some network settings were removed in this version. For example, you can't change the DHCP settings to static IP. Instead, HP provides a TZO dynamic DNS client account which is free for one year with a "yourname.hphome.com" domain, or a life-time free Windows Live Custom Domains client. Either one can be activated when accessing MediaSmart over the Web with a domain name. With the Windows Live Custom Domain service, you have to settle with the ".homeserver.com" name. TZO also lets you use your own domain if you pay $59.95 a year.Next: Features

HP MediaSmart EX495

excellent

Bottom Line: HP has made great improvements with the MediaSmart EX495 device based on Windows Home Server, enough so that it's easy to overlook the minor irritations.

About the Author

Mario Morejon is PCMag’s Lead Analyst for Networking and Small Business. In addition to maintaining the network infrastructure at PCMag Labs, Mario tests all sorts of software and hardware tools that help small business get bigger.

HP MediaSmart EX495

HP MediaSmart EX495

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